ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stock — goods
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. tube — the underground
  11. drill — a practice
  12. tube — a container
  13. drill — army training
  14. stock — shares
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. drill — the tool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com